Guests at fundraiser for Tories is revealed

Wednesday 2 July 2014

LABOUR has condemned the Tories as a party reliant on a select band of super-rich donors after the guest-list of a secret fundraiser was revealed as being made up of bankers, lobbyists and business chiefs with a combined wealth estimated to be in excess of £11 billion.

LABOUR has condemned the Tories as a party reliant on a select band of super-rich donors after the guest-list of a secret fundraiser was revealed as being made up of bankers, lobbyists and business chiefs with a combined wealth estimated to be in excess of £11 billion.

The Conservative Summer Ball in June 2013 on Thameside was attended by more than 440 people, who sat at tables, costing up to £12,000.

Guests were able to rub shoulders with the likes of Prime Minister David Cameron, Home Secretary Theresa May and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.

Among them was Vasily Shestakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's judo partner, who was introduced to Mr Cameron. His task was to improve Russia's reputation in the UK.

Jon Ashworth for Labour, which receives millions of pounds each year from trade unions, said: "The Tories did all they could to keep this list secret and now we know why. It shows a party reliant on a select group of super-rich donors; the same group, who have been given a tax cut by David Cameron's Government while everyone else pays more."

Disclosure of last year's guest list comes just ahead of this year's fundraiser, which will take place tonight at a club in west London.

A Tory spokesman said: "All donations to the Conservative Party are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with Electoral Commission rules."

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